The Case of the Haunted Convenience Store
by JoeyJoBobJunior
Summary: (SHORT STORY) Taking place just after the events from "My Turn to Drive". While Nick and Judy are stuck doing parking duty, they end up helping a store owner whose goods are being robbed by...ghosts? Rated K for some spooky/scary moments. UPDATE: Complete.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1: That Day

 **Author's Note: The following story takes place just two days after the events in my other story, "My Turn to Drive" but is barely related to it. Judy and Nick are currently doing parking duty because they wrecked two cars.**

Nick and Judy are sitting in their meter maid cart (including full meter maid outfits for both) as Judy is on the phone to her mother. Nick is just watching the conversation unfold.

"Yes mom, I'm doing some meter maid duty for just a short time...No, I don't mind. Y'see I was in a chase and my car got totaled so I'm kinda sidelined unti-...NO! I'm fine! No! No! You do not need to come down with dad! I'm doing great! It was just a little fender bender!"

Nick was getting impatient. "Have you told them about me yet?" He whispered. Judy shook her head no and made a "SHHH!" noise.

"What?! No Mom! I'm not shushing you at all! It was a pedestrian! So how's Dad? Good to hear! His face on what? Seriously? But if Gideon makes them, then wh-"

Nick got sick of never being part of the conversation with Judy's parents. He yanked the phone out of Judy's hands. "Hello Mrs. Hopps! I'm Judy's partner that she never speaks of."

Judy was furious and trying desperately to get the phone back, but Nick's long arm kept her out of reach. "I don't know why she's never spoken of me! Yes, I do agree it's very rude."

"So is stealing someone's phone!" Judy yelled angrily and she was now being held back by Nick's foot.

"May I call you Bonnie?...Thank you! Yes Bonnie, I've been her very best friend in the city for the past year and have been watching her back all this time." he said while giving an angry glare to Judy. "Why hasn't she mentioned me? Here! Why don't you ask her?!" and he let go of Judy and threw the phone in her lap.

Judy held the phone, but she wasn't sure what to say. She looked over at Nick who gave a dirty look to her and then tipped his meter maid bowler hat down to cover his eyes.

She glanced at the phone and finally put it to her head. "Well...it's because...I...I didn't want you to think I couldn't make it on my own. You know how independent I am."

Nick looked away. He was only getting more frustrated.

"And...Oh to heck with it! Nick's a fox! Now, I know how you and dad feel about...What? Calm down! Why are you screaming?! Mom?Mom! Hello?" She then hung up. Judy threw the phone onto the cup holder. "I knew this would happen."

She then looked over at Nick who had his back completely turned from her. "And...since it was gonna happen anyway, I should have told them much sooner. I'm sorry Nick! I'm not ashamed of you, I'm PROUD of you! Can you forgive me?"

Nick tipped his hat back up and gave her a smile. "Only if we trade hats, Carrots."

"Deal" Judy chuckled and they swapped bowlers. Nick loved it. He looked at himself in the mirror. "It's so tiny on my head! I look adorable!"

"I can't see a thing!" Judy chuckled as Nick's hat covered her eyes.

Just then a short Lynx ran up to them. "Police! Police!"

Nick looked around. "Where?!"

"I'm talking about you two!" The frustrated Lynx said.

Nick gave a sly grin. "I'm sorry sir, you must have us confused with real cops. We're meter maids!"

Judy threw Nick's hat back at him. "Knock it off!" She shouted. She then recognized the Lynx. "Oh! It's Harold Housecat!"

"Who?" Nick asked.

"You know! The one from the chase where I wrecked my squad car!"

"OH! The cat who got chased by mice! Your last name is 'Housecat' but you're a Lynx?" Nick asked Harold.

"Not all last names are indicative or puns of their species y'know?!" Harold huffed at Nick.

Nick feigned a sad look. "Cartoons have lied to me."

Judy tried to get the subject back on track. "What seems to be the trouble sir?"

"My convenience store has been robbed for the past four days and I have no idea how! Please help me!" The old Lynx begged.

Nick got out of the car. "Well, we WERE gonna enjoy a quiet day handing out tickets and annoying people, but I guess we could help."

"It's our duty as police officers to protect and serve!" Judy said diligently. Nick mouthed her words mockingly as she'd said this a few times before.

Harold shook Judy and Nick's paws. "Thank you! THANK YOU! Come this way!" and he led them to his store nearby.

Moments later, they were in Harold's store. Judy was interviewing Harold while Nick looked around.

"Is there anything out of the ordinary you can tell us about this?" Judy asked.

Harold replied "Well, that's just it! There's absolutely no sign of breaking and entering. I close my shop at 10PM and open up again at 8AM and there's been no one on camera seen stealing during that time. However..."

Judy was curious. "Yes?"

Harold leaned up to her and whispered. "I've been putting on the monitors overnight and with some scary results! I...I think the thieves are...G-G-G-Ghosts!"

"Now, is that with one 'G' or four?" Nick joked.

"Mock me all you want, but come and look at my monitors! I'll show you proof!" Harold led Nick and Judy to the monitoring room and he played them a tape from the night before. "There! Look! Look!"

Judy couldn't believe her eyes. Bags of chips and cookies appeared to be walking on their own. A wax cup floated over to the drink dispenser and filled itself up with soda. They then seemed to be floating away and into the air vent near the ceiling.

"Unbelievable!" Judy exclaimed. "Nick, do you see this? Nick?" Judy then realized Nick had left. She then heard a terrifying scream from the front of the store.

"Carrots! It's horrible! Terrible!" She heard Nick yell. Judy then ran to the front of the store. "What is it?! Are you okay?!"

"This blueberry Freezie tastes nothing like blueberries!" Nick said with a grin while holding a small cup of Freezie in his hand.

"Would you be serious for once?!"

"Hey! I am serious! When it comes to blueberries, I'm a regular connie sewer."

"That's 'connoisseur'!"

"That's what I said!"

Judy was getting frustrated. "Look! If you could take two minutes to stop joking, we need to find out who or what's been taking those snacks!"

Nick looked over at Judy. "Well, what do you think it could be?"

Judy puzzled for a moment. "I'm not sure. Tiny mice? Chameleons? Geckos? Really strong ants?"

Nick rubbed his chin. "I don't think so. There are no holes around the floor for mice and they would appear on camera. Chameleons and Geckos use camouflage but there's no reptiles in Zootopia. They'd have to come all the way from Scaleburg and that's 300 miles away! Also, reptiles and ants can't float in the air."

He then took a good look at the air vent. "I can't fit in that air vent, but you can Fluff. Let me give you a lift and you can go look around there."

Judy wasn't too keen on the idea. "M-Me? Alone? Are you sure?"

Nick looked down at Judy. "Why officer Hopps? Are you actually afraid of some spooky spirits in the air vent?"

"O-Of course not!" Judy replied. "I aint' afraid of no ghosts!"

Nick picked up Judy and headed her toward the air vent. "That's a double negative AND you used the word 'aint'. Did you fail grammar at the academy? Anyway, up you go!"

Judy was hesitant. "Wait! Maybe we could think of a better plan?

"No time." Nick replied.

"But!...But!...But!"

"Yes, yes. It's a very cute butt. Now get it and the rest of you in there!" and Nick shoved Judy into the air vent. She used the flashlight on her cell phone to look around.

"See anything yet?" Nick asked.

"No" Judy replied. "Just candy wrappers and some spilled soda. I'm gonna go ahead further!"

"Okay!" Nick shouted. "I'll be right out here!"

Judy looked around nervously. Her light just shining a few feet ahead where the air vent turns. She then heard a terrifying, low voice.

"Get Out!" It bellowed.

Judy was frozen in fear. "W-W-W-What?"

"GET OUT!" It screamed again. Judy then heard some kind of screeching noise and looked to her right only to see the words "get out" being scratched on to the side with no one around.

Judy screamed at the top of her lungs. Nick looked concerned. "Judy! Are you okay?!"

He could hear her scrambling back toward the air vent entrance. "I'm getting out! I'm getting out! Catch me!" She then leaped into the air, but got caught on something for a brief second. "Ack! Spider webs!" She yelled and dropped into Nick's arms where she held onto him tightly.

She was trembling in his arms. "It's okay Carrots. You're safe now. You can let go." Nick said. He then tried to pull her away but her grip was too tight. "Or you can cling to me for awhile. That's a good option too."

Harold ran up to them. "What happened?"

Still clinging to Nick, Judy turned her head. "Whatever's in there. It told me to get out in a deep, scary voice and it even wrote 'get out' on the side of the vent!"

Harold looked sacred. "T-Then it IS ghosts!"

Nick chimed in. "Ow! Carrots! I didn't know bunny claws could dig in so deep!"

"S-Sorry Nick!" She finally jumped off Nick and onto the floor.

Nick then turned his attention to Harold."Sir, can we talk in the back please?"

Harold led them back to the monitoring room. Nick looked around and noticed there wasn't any air vents. Just a grate in the back that let air in from outside. "I don't want the umm...'ghosts' to overhear us."

"What can we do?!" Harold said in a panic.

"I have a plan." Nick said. "But we'll need to be here just before you close."

"We're coming back tonight?!" Judy yipped nervously.

Nick shushed Judy. "Yes, but keep it quiet!"

Harold couldn't believe his bad luck. "First those mice, now this! I must've been a horrible person in a past life to deserve this!"

Judy and Nick then headed back to their car. "Do you really think they're ghosts?" Judy asked nervously.

"I dunno Fluff. I'm not sure what they could be!" He replied. But actually, he knew EXACTLY what they were and he had a plan.

"But I'll tell you one thing Carrots. Tonight, we're doing some ghost busting!"


	2. Chapter 2: That Night

Chapter 2: That Night

 **Author's Notes: If you haven't read "My Turn to Drive" Judy gave Nick the nickname "Red" and uses it on occasion. There's a fish market in Tundratown so I'm counting fish as food.**

That evening, after leaving the cart at the station and talking to Bogo, Nick and Judy decided to walk on foot back to the convenience store and check up on Harold. Judy was nervous about the operation. Nick however, was confident.

"I'm glad Bogo allowed us this overtime," Nick thought out loud. "I understand your frustration now Carrots. Handing out tickets just because a meter ran out for two seconds doesn't really feel like making a difference. I want to help people, but I feel helpless instead."

Judy patted his elbow. "Thanks Red! I'm really glad you feel that way. But ummm... why the outfit?"

Nick was in full costume from one of his favorite movies "GhostBiters" while holding a small cage. "Hey now, Fluff, if I'm gonna play the part, I'm gonna look the part."

As they got closer to the store, Judy started to hesitate and stopped. Nick looked back. "What's with you today Jude? I've never seen you scared like this before. Not even when we're about to be iced!"

Judy looked ashamed. "I know, I'm sorry."

Nick bent over and looked her in the eye. "Don't be sorry for being scared. It's a normal emotion to have. It's just...you're one of the bravest people I've ever met. So why are ghosts spooking you?"

Judy sighed. "When I was a young kit, me and my sisters would sometimes stay up late and watch old horror movies on T.V. I would try to put up a brave face and laugh at the cheesy bits, but sometimes, they'd keep me up at night or give me nightmares. Then, one night, two of my brothers hid under my bed and after I was laying there for awhile, they started shaking the bed and another one of my brothers popped out of the closet wearing a sheet! That dirty trick made me afraid of ghosts ever since. I know there's no such thing, but still.."

"I understand." Nick replied. "Do you know what I was afraid of as a child?" Judy shook her head "No".

"Bunnies."

"Seriously? Why?"

They kept walking as Nick told his story. "Well, when I was a very young child, I used to LOVE cartoons about bunnies. I used to watch cartoons like 'Mugs Bunny', 'Teeny Toons' and 'Young Jack Savage: The Animated Series'. Then I saw a poster for a movie. It had a big picture of a bunny on it near a farm, so I begged my mother to take me to see it and...it was one of the most horrifying experiences I've had in a theater."

"What was the name of the movie?" Judy asked.

"'Watercrest Down.'"

"Yikes! I know that one! Isn't it rated R?"

"Yes, but my Mom didn't notice. I saw bunnies being murdered and tearing each others throat out! My Mom took me out of the theater screaming and crying and I had nightmares for months after that."

Judy wrapped her arm around his. "Well,it looks like you got over it!"

"Oh I still have it a little bit. In fact there's this one bunny who scares me to death! Every time I make a silly joke or tease this bunny, she attacks me with punches and kicks on my arms and legs."

Judy's ears drooped and turned red. "Yeah, well...maybe this bunny should stop doing that so much."

Nick and Judy got to the back of the store. The store owner let them in and into the monitoring room. Nick whispered some info to him and the store owner told them to call him when it's all over.

Harold closed the door to the monitoring room and talked out loud so the thieves would hear. "Well, no sense in leaving those monitors on since I can't find the crooks!" He then turned off all the lights, locked the store and left.

Judy and Nick were whispering to each other in the monitoring room.

"Okay, what's the plan?" Judy asked.

"You don't have to do anything. Just stay here and wait for my signal. I need to use my keen night vision to catch these guys so I need no light leaking from this room. Don't even turn on the monitors unless I say so. Okay?"

Judy was scared. "You want me to wait in the dark?!"

Nick explained. "I can't let them see me at all if I'm gonna get the jump on them. Just keep your ear to the wall and wait for my signal. Trust me, okay?"

"O-Okay!" Judy said nervously.

Nick left the room with the cage and very slowly closed the door behind him. He then sat in the corner of the store where he could keep an eye on the air vent. His vision was actually better at night than during the day. The sun was always glaring to him. It's one of the reasons he tended to wear shades as a cop. That and it made him look cool.

Meanwhile Judy was never more scared. Here she was alone in a room with her ear to the door just waiting to hear Nick from the other side. It wasn't just the pitch black darkness that had her afraid. It was the uncertainty of what was on the other side of the room. Could it really be spirits? She shook her head "no". After all, why would ghosts want soda, chips or cookies?

Ten minutes passed, then she heard it. A loud "Gotcha!" From Nick along with some rustling, banging and things being knocked off shelves. Whatever it was, it was putting up a fight. Then there was silence for a good minute.

Nick screamed. "ACCK! The ghosts! They're...p-possessing...me!...Judy! Turn on the m-monitors!"

Judy quickly turned on the monitors only to see Nick staring at one of the monitors with a scary, blank expression. She jumped back, scared out of her wits as she witnessed her partner just standing there. "NICK! THIS IS NOT FUNNY!" She yelled. Then, Nick spoke.

" _Juuuu-deeeee! Open the door Judy. We want to come inside._ "

"STAY AWAY!" Judy screamed and she backed away from the door to the other side of the room. The glare of the monitors shone onto the door. The handle slowly turned back and forth. _"Let us in Juu-deee! We want to play!"_

Just then, Nick burst through the door with a flashlight under his chin. "BOOGA! BOOGA!" He yelled. Has was about to laugh, but a tranquilizer dart shot into his arm.

"YOU. STUPID. JERK!" Judy screamed.

Nick was about to pass out. "I gOt ThE bAd guYs moMMy! I prOMise, I Won't hANg Out wif' 'dat Bad FiNNick guy NO moRE! NightY Night MoMMy!" and Nick passed out onto the floor.

Two hours later, Nick started to wake up. His face was hurting and he felt a sudden sting across his muzzle.

 _SLAP!_

"Wake up you idiot!" It was Judy sitting on his chest and slapping him across the face. _SLAP!_ "I'll give you a darn good reason to fear bunnies!" _SLAP!_

The store owner Harold was watching over her shoulder. "Excuse me miss. "But is that really necessary?"

Judy talked to him while slapping Nick. "Some perps have information we need right away after they've been darted." _SLAP! "_ So slapping them is the quickest way to wake them up." _SLAP!_

"I'M AWAKE! I'M AWAKE!" Nick shouted only to be slapped one more time. "Okay, Hopps! That's enough! I'm sorry!"

"Not sorry enough!" She said. She was really angry with him. They could hear the crooks yelling from the cage. "Hey! Let us outta here! We know our rights, coppers!"

"So what are they?" Harold asked.

"Chameleons." Nick replied. "Judy was right the first time. I figured it out this morning"

"So why didn't you tell me?!" Judy yelled.

"What and spoil the fun?" Judy started heading towards Nick to slap him again. "A-And I needed backup just in case things went wrong!"

"So how did they do it?" Harold asked.

"Well..." Nick replied. "They were probably stealing without any trouble for awhile, but they probably overheard you mention using the monitors at night. That's when they decided to camouflage themselves even at night. It was dark enough they didn't cast a shadow It gave them the appearance of being invisible on the monitors making the cookies and cups appear to steal themselves."

"But what about them floating up into the air vent?" Judy asked. "And the writing suddenly appearing on the side?"

"Come with me." Nick said and they walked to the front of the store. "Remember those spider webs you got snagged on as you jumped out of the air vent?"

"Yes?"

"Here. Feel it." Nick lifted Judy up to the spot where the supposed web was. "It's fishing line!"Judy said. "Thin. About three pound test probably. I know because our dad used to take us fishing sometimes."

"Yup" Nick replied. "Thin enough to be invisible, but strong enough for them to carry a cup of soda into the air vent. As far as the writing goes, check this out."

He then brought them over ot the air vent which was sticking out of the wall a little. Nick got on a step ladder and scratched "Hi Judy!" into the bottom of the vent. "The aluminum walls are thin enough that you can scratch into them and leave an indentation."

"Wow! Yer quite the sleuth!" Harold said to Nick.

"Thank you!...That's a compliment, right?" Nick asked.

Judy facepalmed. "'Sleuth' is another word for 'detective' you moron!" and she stormed out of the back of the store.

"What's gotten into her?" Harold asked.

"I think I know." Nick responded.

Nick saw Judy kicking and punching at the wall. "Stupid dumb fox! Dumb...dumb bunny!"

"Y'know Carrots, I could get some street chalk and draw a picture of myself you can punch and kick at." Nick said.

"Leave me alone." She replied. Her ears drooping down. Nick tried to look in her eyes, but she kept turning her back on him.

"I went too far didn't I?" Nick said with his ears drooping down. "You told me that story about your brothers and I went and repeated the whole traumatic experience like a jerk. I'm really sorry Hopps."

"It's not that." She replied. "You solved this case WAY before me. You saw the logic and figured things out while I was still stumped! I'm so stupid!"

Nick put his paws on the back of her shoulders. "Hey, hey. You're NOT stupid! You guessed that they were chameleons and you were right! In fact, I wouldn't have figured out what was going on if you hadn't given me that list of suggestions."

"Really?"

"Sure! Detective work is a science and like science, it's not always exact. You have to theorize and try to get the best results. I got lucky."

"Thanks Red." Judy said and she hugged Nick.

"Y'know, sometimes people who care for each other, will tease one another. Brothers, sisters or partners. It's just an odd way of showing affection. Now let's get this scaly scum back to the police station and find out why they're here all the way from Scaleburg. I feel a commendation coming on!"

Harold thanked Nick and Judy again and they took the small cage and left.

 **Next Chapter: Epilogue**


	3. Epilogue: Recorded Praise

Epilogue: Recorded Praise

Nick and Judy are just outside of Bogo's office. The buffalo chief is going over the arrest report from the night before inside.

"So what did they say about the chameleons?" Nick asked Judy. "Are they working for The Big Cheese?"

"No." Judy replied. "They were just visiting from Scaleburg and found a nice gig stealing from Mr. Housecat and living up on his roof. They're being deported back to Scaleburg now."

Nick looked disappointed. "Foxgoneit! I just want in on this case! I feel useless just being on the sidelines!"

Judy tried to comfort him. "I know exactly how you feel. At least Bogo should be happy with this report."

Nick got his smile back and rubbed his hands in excitement. "Yeeeeah! I solved the case and there was no collateral damage for a change! The chief can't help but be happy with this!"

Judy reached up and pinched Nick's cheek. "Awww! I think it's so cute how you seek his praise. He's like a widdle father figure to you."

Nick looked annoyed. "Bun, please!" I don't care what he thinks, I just want a little recognition every once in a while. Is that too much to ask?"

Bogo started to come out of the office. Nick looked excited. "Oooh here he comes! He's gonna shower me with compliments!"

Bogo walked over to Judy and Nick. "Hopps. Wilde. Good job." and kept walking.

Nick had his jaw drop. "Can you believe that?"

Judy looked sad for Nick. "I'm sorry Nick."

"He said I did a good job! Me! Nick Wilde!"

Judy looked puzzled "O-kay?"

Nick held up Judy's carrot pen. "I even recorded it! Listen!"

 _"Hopps. Wilde. Good job."_

"That's no good. Hold on." Nick made some adjustments to the recording.

 _"Wilde. Good job."_

Nick giggled with delight."EEEHEHEHEE! Perfect! I'm gonna call my mom!"

Judy rolled her eyes. "Oh _suuure!_ You don't want his praise at _all!_ " She said sarcastically.

Nick ignored her while talking to his mom on the phone. "Hey mom! I just solved a big case!"

"Not THAT big." Judy added.

Nick continued to ignore her. "Bogo's praising me! Listen!"

 _"Wilde. Good job."_

"You hear that?! I did good, mommy! I did great!"

Judy chuckled. "Did you just call her 'mommy'?!"

Nick froze and the inside of his ears turned beet red. "Ummmm...I gotta head out now mom. Goodbye!" and he hung up the phone quickly.

Judy's eyes started to widen. "That's so adorable!"

Nick was starting to panic a bit. "Judy. My dearest friend. You cannot tell this to anyone!"

"Oh _sure._ " Judy nodded with a sarcastic tone. She then started heading towards Clawhauser. "HEY CLAWHAUS-" Nick quickly covered her mouth.

He started to beg. "Carrots please! Don't tell this to anyone! I got a rep to maintain! I'll do anything!"

"Anything?" Judy said.

"Anything within reason. This is a K+ fanfic after all."

"Fine!" Judy replied. "You can't tease me OR make any dumb jokes for the rest of the day."

"SIGH! Deal."

"AND you have to do your job! No giving people with phony-baloney sob stories a break!"

"Deal!"

"AND at the end of the day, we come back here, I take off my foot straps and you..."

"Kiss your stinky feet?"

"Massage them."

"Well Fluff..." Nick said with a flirtatious smile. "I guess they can't all be punishments."

 **Now that this side story is over, the Big Cheese saga will continue when Nick finds some unexpected guests in his apartment in "A Hole in the Wall". Then, a different and slightly dark twist on Nick visiting Judy's family in "The Burrow Zone". Stay tuned!**


End file.
